14 Dates
by clay jashinist
Summary: It all starts with Hidan asking Deidara out. Nothing personal; just a harmless, friendly date...which leads to 13 more! But wait, what's Sasori doing in the picture? Modern-fic...and, oh yes, it's Hidei!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Hidan and Deidara..yet

Author's Note: This is a modern-fic…yeah.

----

A very lonely blond sat on a nearby bench and hunched his shoulders. He looked up, one eye straining with tears. The sky seemed to blend with his mood. The color was a bright red, and warm yellow splashed as sunset arrived. The thought only made Deidara sadder than ever.

_Stupid Sasori…I thought he was serious in asking me out, un!_

He looked down again, still contemplating about the redhead he was completely in love with. Surprisingly though, he found himself both missing and hating Sasori. He clutched his chest, feeling a very peculiar feeling at the pit of his stomach.

"Hey blondie…" It was a soft growl, but Deidara heard it right away. He looked up again, only to find Hidan standing rather casually in front of him. The blond raised an eyebrow as the Jashinist's smirk grew.

"What do you want, un?"

Hidan shook his head and sat down beside Deidara. 

"Nothing…I just wanted to watch the sun set." The silver-haired man said in a husky tone. The other watched him with uncertainty. He wasn't really used to Hidan's strange behavior. It was unnerving yet calming at the same time.

"Oh...I wanted to watch it too…".Deidara answered after a while, forgetting about Sasori. Hidan looked down at him and noticed that there were tears strained on his cheeks. He leaned a little closer, which startled the blond.

"Relax, you wuss. It's not like I'm gonna fuck you or something…".The older man reached for his pocket. He got a handkerchief and gently brought it to Deidara's cheeks. He brushed the tears away, looking at him with a rather soft expression. 

"T...Thanks.". Deidara blurted out as Hidan withdrew his hand from his cheeks. He looked at the blond, who was blushing at the sudden contact he had given.

"You're being stupid, you know…" Hidan spoke in a firm voice as he made eye-to-eye contact with Deidara."…Sasori's even more stupid."

Deidara felt affronted. _Even though Sasori's turned me down, I still idolize him and love him all the same, un_ . He kept his mouth shut, though. There was no point arguing with someone like Hidan. 

"Let me ask you something…" Hidan's silver hair nicely illuminated with the soon-to-be-dark sky, Deidara noticed. "…do you love Sasori?"

The blond looked up, taken aback. Even though it was obvious that he liked the redhead, no one really asked him what he felt. His brows knitted together when he noticed Hidan had a teasing look on his face."Of course I love him!"

Hidan made a sort of gesture to speak, but he clamped his mouth shut, which made Deidara curious. _Seriously, what is up with Hidan?_ He tried to get a little closer, but the other would always scoot away. The blond got very irritated.

"What is wrong with you? You seem so…un-Hidan-like…"

The older man snorted at the comment. 

"I just feel like playing Mr. Dickhead today, what's it to you?" Deidara could suddenly see a little bit of the old Hidan, foul-mouthed and irritable. But still, there was something…_something _unusual.

"Hidan, what is the point of having a conversation with me if you're not acting like yourself?"

"Hey, don't push yourself. I happened to pass by this route when I saw you. It's not like I intended to sit down here with you. I just saw you were kind of lonely and…"Hidan looked away after that, a small flush on his cheeks. He had almost said it…

The blond pouted at his friend's weirdness.

"Whatever, Hidan." He stood up and stretched his arms. He looked up at the night sky. There were so many stars shining. He turned to Hidan, who also stood up."Got any plans for tonight?"

The silver-haired man shook his head. Then, an idea popped into his head. He grinned at Deidara. "Say, since Sasori practically dumped you, I'd take the opportunity to ask you out. A little dinner. My treat. "

Deidara blushed a little. No one had really asked him out…

"I…I guess so…un…"

Hidan felt like jumping. "It's a date then!"

----

TBC


	2. Date 1

Date 1

----

"So, Hidan, where are you planning to take me to, un?" Deidara looked up once again at the starry sky. It looked oddly fascinating compared to the others times he remembered. He clutched his hands tighter, not daring to look down again. He was still blushing, since he wasn't used to going out with anyone. He wondered if he would act the same way if Sasori was the one he was with right then. But he quickly shook the thought aside as Hidan replied.

"I'm not really used to shitty things about dates…" the silver-haired man kicked a stone."…I guess we can go to the café near my apartment. I have no idea if it's damned good as it sounds, though…what do you think?"

_Boy, being on a date is uncomfortable…un!_ Deidara mused inside his head. But he felt glad being with Hidan…strange. "I think it's worth a shot!"

During the rest of the walk, Hidan just kept quiet, kicking stones out of the way while Deidara often took a glance at him. When the older man did catch him looking, the blond immediately looked away.

-After a few _boring_ moments-

Hidan and Deidara both stared at the café in front of them. It was not that small, and it looked very welcoming. The older of the two came forward and the blonde soon followed, smiling to himself.

When they entered, a boy, no older than 15, looked up at them from the counter. He looked tired and bored, but still, he managed to drawl a "Welcome to Trinkets." and soon flopped back to his chair. A pink-haired girl emerged from a door behind the counter and smacked the boy on the head.

"Wake up, Shikamaru! This is no time to be sleepy!" she hissed, obviously pissed. Another girl went out, who had long black hair with an odd gleam of blue on it. She had pale eyes and a soft voice. She came forward and bowed at the two.

"Good evening sir…" she looked up at Deidara and smiled innocently. "…and madam."

Hidan had to bite his lip from laughing as the offended blonde's eye widened at the shy girl's greeting. Soon, he lunged forward at the offender and tackled the clueless girl to the ground.

"Madam! Madam! I'll show you, Ms. I-have-no-pupils, jerk!"

"Deidara, calm down, damn it! She didn't mean it!" Hidan pulled the blonde from the ground. He cast a glare at the now-petrified girl."…did you?"

The girl, whose name was Hinata, (I wrote her name already without any of them mentioning it 'cause I'm already tired referring her as 'girl') could barely answer back so she just nodded. The pink-haired girl, who had already given Shikamaru a good lecture, pushed Hinata away and apologized immediately. 

"I'm veeeerrrrrrryyyyyyy sorry..." she gave an uneasy glance at Deidara, who was grudgingly whispering curses."...er…sir…"

The blonde looked up and rolled his eye. "Whatever."

"Yeah…he's fucking okay. Aren't you going to take our damn orders and make us sit down or something?" Hidan sounded a bit impatient. Sakura (They saw it on her name tag) nodded eagerly and took out a paper and a pencil. 

"This is my first time to take orders. We're trainees, you see."

Deidara, who seemed to have cooled off, sat on a nearby chair. Hidan rolled his eyes impatiently and sat on the chair opposite the blonde.

"I'll take a light dinner. Just salad. The one with the green leafy things that taste like shit." Hidan played with a tissue."… add some wine for the drink."

"Hai!" Sakura smiled and turned to Deidara, though she backed away a little, making a good distance between them."What would you order, _sir?_" She put an emphasis to the word sir, making the blonde irritated.

"Eh…he'd like the special kind…right, Deidara?" the Jashinist glared at the befuddled waitress."…what's your specialty?"

"Eh…we don't really serve heavy meals. He can have some lasagna. It cools the brain down." Sakura said, turning her head to Shikamaru, who shrugged his shoulders and muttered "…troublesome..."

Deidara pouted and sunk back on his chair. So much for a dinner date! He thought that dates were supposed to be romantic…He looked up at Hidan, who had his back turned away. The blonde shook his head and rested his chin on his palm, wondering where on earth Sasori was.

----

_Back at the counter_

----

"Well, aren't we going to do anything?" Sakura whispered. She had given the order to the cook. Hinata and Shikamaru turned to her, looking at her as though she was some screwed-up lunatic.

"Help them? They're crazy, Sakura!" Hinata said softly."…especially the blonde one…"

"I don't care!" the pink-haired girl said almost firmly, pounding her fist on the table. Shikamaru gave an uneasy glance at them."…crazy or not, we promised Kakashi-sensei that we would run the café well while he's gone!"

Hinata stared at the couple for a moment, and then her eyes blazed with a fire similar to Sakura's."Yes! You're right! We should do our very best!"

Sakura sent her fist in the air."Let's get to work!"

"Ah…can I just tell you guys something…" Shikamaru raised a hand up. "…in case you haven't noticed, those two are guys…and they're _dating_. That's gay and wrong, isn't it?"

But the two young girls were already up on their sleeves, completely ignoring him.

"Oh boy…"

----

TBC


	3. A Disaster?

A Disaster?

----

Deidara had his chin on both the palms of his hands, which indicated that he was bored as hell. Hidan hadn't spoken a word to him when they had sat down, and he was feeling less and less energetic about their "date". He mentally rolled his eyes. No, this was _not _a date. Dates were supposed to be exciting and fun…or so he thought.

"Hidan…." the blonde mumbled, shifting his chair a little forward as he reached for the said man. The Jashinist turned and gave him a look of both annoyance and confusion.

"What the fuck's wrong now?"

Deidara frowned. "You barely talked to me! You asked me out, didn't you, or have you forgotten I was even here, un?"

"I didn't know you were fucking sensitive." Hidan turned in his seat, now facing the blonde. He had a sharp gleam in his pinkish eyes which made Deidara shudder unexpectedly. Never in his life had he seen the silver-haired man in such a way…it made the blonde ponder, as if Hidan was a puzzle that needed to be solved in order to be fully understood.

"I…I'm not…" Deidara tried to keep a steady voice as he looked away. What was up with him?

"Oh really…" Hidan's smirk grew. He knew he had startled the blonde, and he seemed to have enjoyed his expression. It made him feel superior. He was about to bite back another comment when the lights suddenly went off.

The Jashinist grew stiff in his seat in surprise. He couldn't see a damn thing! He only heard Deidara's raspy voice, calling out his name. He was obviously scared to death.

"H-Hidan!! Where a-are you…?"

"I'm right here, Dei! I'll hold your hand and guide you outside!"

Hidan reached for the blonde's hand, but he hadn't completely tighten his grip when he felt Deidara scramble away, causing his chair to fall.

"AH! S-something touched…me…!"

"That was me, you dumbass!"

"Sorry…"

"Great, now I can't even tell where you are now! Where is that damn waitress??"

----

_Back at the counter_

----

"Alright, mission accomplished!"

"Sshh…they might hear us, Sakura-chan!"

"Alright, you guys, what the _hell_ did you do now?" Shikamaru's voice suddenly loomed behind the two unsuspecting girls. 

"Agh! Don't do that, Shikamaru!" Sakura's voice loomed beneath her friends' ears. Hinata giggled as she sat on the floor with her pink-haired friend.

"This is your plan?? Heck, you've scared the wits out of them!" the Nara's voice became serious. "…if anything goes wrong, I blame the two of you…"

"Relax, Shiky…watch and learn from the experts!"

"Tsk…troublesome…"

----

_Back to the totally scared "couple"_

----

"Ah! Damn it! That was the third chair I bumped into!" Hidan clutched his injured thigh as he felt his way to a very,_ very_ scared blonde. "…why don't you fucking come near me, you wuss!"

"N-no…c-can't…"

"You're such a baby!"

The pissed man gave up in feeling his way to the "baby". Instead, he lunged forward, not caring where he would land. He was very annoyed and pissed…

"AH! What's that?!"

"Relax, it's me!" Hidan groaned in pain. Then, he realized he landed on top of Deidara. He was about to get off when he felt the blonde hug him closer. He realized Deidara was shaking furiously.

"Hey…"

Suddenly, the light went on again. Hidan mentally cursed as he turned and saw three kids make their way to the two, who were still on the floor. Sakura had a wide smile plastered on her face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you people?!"

Hidan jumped up from the floor with such intense fury. He glared at the three offenders. "He was scared as hell!"

Sakura bobbed his head in amusement at Deidara, who was already on his feet. He was still a little shaky, though. "You were? Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know."

The silver-haired man was boiling. How stupid can these people get?

"That's it, we're out of here."

Deidara found himself being pulled away by Hidan. He felt himself tingling at such a sudden contact. He turned his head to give Sakura one last glance before they went out. She gave the blonde a thumbs up.

----

_Later that night_

----

"Hey, listen…"

Deidara turned as he saw Hidan stop on his tracks, his eyes hidden by the shadows of the night. He shivered as the cold air flew over them. Hidan looked glummer than usual. Was he disappointed?

"I thought this night…well…I thought it would turn out fine." Hidan turned away, a pink tinge tinted on his pale cheeks. Deidara's expression softened. He smiled warmly at the older man.

"It's okay, Hidan…really."

"Even though we didn't have a fucking good time…?" His pink eyes quivered with intensity as he met the blonde's visible blue eye."…I just wanted to preserve a memory of our…first and…only date…"

Deidara gawked at Hidan. What was he saying? Hidan was definitely acting strange again. It kind of confused the blonde on what was his real intention…but somehow, he found himself shaking his head and moving closer to the silver-haired man.

"Who said I didn't enjoy our time, un?"

"You enjoyed it? Even though you were practically screaming like a baby?" Hidan's lips tugged in amusement as he watched the blonde flush.

"I was really scared, un!"

"You didn't have to worry…" Hidan moved closer to Deidara."I was there to help."

Hidan's hand softly touched Deidara's at first. The blonde looked up at him expectedly. The older pretended that he didn't care when their fingers were entwined, but deep inside, he would've felt like doing a thousand cartwheels all day.

----

TBC


	4. The Agreement

The Agreement

* * *

Deidara opened his eyes. He immediately sat up from his bed when he remembered what day it was. It was a Monday; which meant Sasori was going to his house. The blonde jumped out of bed and went straight to the bathroom, his heart fluttering as the image of his teacher went to his mind.

You might be wondering why the heck Sasori was coming. Well, after Deidara finished high school, he got tired from the usual school life. He decided not to go to college, but instead got a teacher that was from a prestigious school of arts. That was when he met Sasori.

The first time Deidara met him, he thought he was _perfect_. Beautiful in every detail. It was like Sasori was a work of art himself. That was why the blonde idolized him so much. But that didn't stop there. Not only was Sasori good-looking, he also had a unique perspective in art. He believed that art was eternal. Art was eternal beauty.

Once Deidara was finished dressing up, he heard a soft knocking on the front door. he gasped both in excitement and in surprise.

_Oh boy…Oh boy!_

"I'm coming, un!"

He opened the door, his hand shaking. He was always like this, so excited and clumsy. As soon as the door swung open, he expected Sasori to be in his calm expression. He was right. Sasori looked cooler as ever.

"Good morning, Deidara…" His voice was soft and calm. Deidara gulped, every muscle in his body tensing as his redheaded teacher entered ever so gently.

"G…Good morning, teacher…"

Sasori walked up to his student's working desk. He ushered for Deidara to come forward. The blonde closed the door and went up to his teacher.

* * *

_Outside_

* * *

Hidan was passing by Deidara's house, hoping to catch a glimpse of the blonde he was slowly falling for. He pretended to look for someone, but all the while, he was just trying to catch a glimpse of Deidara's house.

_Wait a second…_

The silver-haired man stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened as he saw Sasori on the blonde's door. The redhead had his back turned, so Hidan made no attempt to hide as he watched Sasori knock. After a few seconds, the door opened, and he saw Deidara. His stomach flopped as he continued watching from a good distance. Finally, when the Sasori went inside and the door was closed, Hidan took out a long sigh.

Frowning, he looked around to see if anyone saw him watching. He continued walking, but he didn't even cross the street when sudden images racked his brain.

_Sasori beside Deidara…doing things…making the blonde excited…reaching for his-_

"Gah!"

Hidan shook his head, blushing at his own obscene thoughts. He found his heart pounding hard against his chest…what if?

He looked over from his shoulder, Deidara's house still visible. It wouldn't hurt if he took a peek. Deidara considered him a friend after all. He nodded his head. Before his own imagination started up again, the Jashinist broke into a run.

* * *

_Deidara's house_

* * *

"Deidara…" Sasori turned to his student, who was seated beside him, trying to mold a figurine of an angel from clay. The blonde turned, his face flushed with concentration. "I wanted to apologize from yesterday. I was very busy with my work, you see…"

"Ah...erm…it's okay, teacher…" Deidara tried to hide his disappointment. He had almost forgotten about that incident. Trying hard not to show how hurt he felt, he went back to his work, finishing the details of the robe. 

Sasori was about to say something else when a loud knocking was heard from the front door. Deidara looked up, almost irritated. He was just getting to his artistic mood! He excused himself from his teacher and made his way to the door, muttering curses under his breath.

"You know that I don't-"

Deidara stopped himself from shouting when he saw Hidan on the door. He was panting and his face was flushed from what seemed to be as exhaustion.

"Hello…" The older man wheezed. He clutched his chest and looked up at the blonde."Well, aren't you going to let me in, idiot?"

Deidara frowned at what Hidan had called him. He wanted to shout "No way in hell, asshole! Me and Sasori are on a date, un!", but he would hurt Hidan's feelings. He did consider Hidan as his friend.

"What happened to you, un?" Deidara moved aside as he let Hidan enter. The man sat on the couch, still catching his breath.

"I…I wanted to…see you…." Hidan was so exhausted that he answered the first thing that was on his mind. He saw Deidara's visible eyebrow rise.

"You wanted to…see me?" Deidara felt unusually delighted at what the older had said.

"Hidan…" Sasori's voice loomed between the two. Hidan looked up and mentally rolled his eyes. At least he was still fully clothed.

"I…ah…I'll get some refreshments!" Deidara broke the silence. He gave a small bow and went to the kitchen.

Sasori sat down beside Hidan, never taking his eyes off of the silver-haired man, as if studying him.

"He's cute, ne?"

Hidan gave a puzzled look at the redhead, and blushed as he realized what Sasori had said. Did he notice? Was it obvious?

"I…don't know what the hell you're talking about…"

"Don't play dumb. You know what I mean." Sasori answered firmly, yet his voice was still as gentle. "I know you asked him out when I didn't show up yesterday…"

Hidan frowned.

"Why the fuck didn't you show up, anyway?" He said before Sasori could speak again.

"He's not worth my time." The redhead answered, now playing with his hair. He was curling it between his delicate fingers. "Besides, I already apologized."

Hidan bit back his tongue. He wasn't going to make his feelings obvious. Not that it wasn't.

"I know what you feel for him, Hidan." Sasori said, his gaze on the man beside him. He hid a smile when he saw Hidan tense up. "I want to help you…by making…an agreement."

The other man frowned. Agreement? What the hell was he planning?

"You asked him out, right?" Sasori lowered his voice so that Hidan could barely hear it. "I want you to ask him out again. Until you already asked him out fourteen times."

What. The. Fuck.

"What the hell?!" Hidan swung backward from his seat. Sasori remained still. He had a smirk on his face.

"You heard me."

"Are you insane!?" Hidan spat back, not caring if Deidara heard it or not. "I would never do that!"

"Keep your voice down, idiot." Sasori said gently. He came forward and faced Hidan, leaving almost no space between them. The tip of their nose nearly touched. "Think about it. If you agree…you can have Deidara all to yourself. Sooner or later, he will fall for you."

Hidan blinked. He _did_ have a point. If he could be with Deidara almost every time…

"I can't hurt his feelings."

"I know that."

Sasori's evil smirk grew. He moved backward.

"Think about it, Hidan…"

The silver-haired man pondered for a moment as he was given space. He liked Deidara a lot. He would do anything…

"Why the fuck are you doing this, Sasori?"

"I'm sick of him always clinging to me. If he has someone else in mind, he wouldn't bother me."

Hidan gulped. He heard footsteps. Deidara was coming back. Sasori cast him a glance, his mouth curved. He gave him a questioning look.

Deidara needed someone…someone better than Sasori…

Before Deidara could see it, Hidan mouthed the words "I'll do it."

* * *

TBC


	5. Date 2

Date 2

--

"Hidan!"

The call was hoarse and low, as if it was calloused from shouting and from drinking too much. The silver-haired man detected the voice, then raised his eyebrows as the voice called him again. It sounded desperate now, and Hidan was already getting pissed.

"Listen, Kakuzu, I'm _fucking_ tired of playing these stupid games of yours…" he hissed as he heard footsteps come to his direction. It was still sunny, but Hidan couldn't really make out where Kakuzu had hidden. He turned just in time to see him emerge from the thorny rose bushes.

"Damn, that hurt like hell." Kakuzu bit his lip as he pricked the thorn out of various parts of his body. Hidan watched him, dumbfounded at his friend.

"You should've taken the damn path that lead here, dipshit." he snapped at the green-eyed man, who was finished dealing with the thorns. He was now rummaging inside his small bag, ignoring Hidan. "What the hell are you trying to get there? Your mom?"

Hidan laughed at his own joke, then rolled his eyes as his friend glared at him.

"No, but may God bless her soul anyway."

"Whatever."

"Here." Kakuzu handed an envelope to him. The younger man just stared at it, suspicion in his pinkish eyes.

"Who are you and what the fuck have you done with Kakuzu? He doesn't give out money, mind you." he said as he took the envelope, grinning. "But I like you more. You can stay if you want."

"You're really getting a kick, huh?" Kakuzu snapped bitterly as he closed his bag. "Those are tickets. To the amusement park."

"Oh." Hidan studied the envelope, as if he could see through it. "Where'd you get it?"

"A friend of my aunt's niece's sister gave it to me." his friend answered. "…But I don't need it. She gave me two tickets, saying I should bring along someone. It's a waste of time and of course, money."

Hidan shook his head. "Who am I supposed to invite?"

"I dunno. A date, maybe?" Kakuzu glanced at his watch, then back up to him. "Well, buddy; I gotta go run a few errands. I'll catch up on you some other time."

The silver-haired man nodded, but his thoughts were preoccupied as he heard the word 'date'. He suddenly remembered Sasori's agreement with him. Deidara entered into his mind as he clutched the envelope tighter. It was the key to their second date. The date that Deidara would never forget.

--

Deidara stumbled down the stairs, clay dug deep into his fingertips. He had tried to perform the task Sasori had given him for their next meeting, but he seemed too tired and was lacking on inspiration.

"Yeah, yeah…I'm coming, un!"

He opened the front door, expecting the old lady from down the street to give him some herbs that she always planted just for him. The blonde always accepted them, then stacked them in the basement, where it surely belonged.

Deidara grinned to himself as the door swung; yes, he was an evil man…an evil man indeed.

"Get dressed. Let's go." Hidan said as soon as Deidara saw him. He couldn't explain the feeling he felt as he saw the blonde, looking stressed and shallow. He wanted to block the feelings he felt for him, but he couldn't help but stare as Deidara's mouth hung open.

"Hidan? But what-?" he stammered for the right words as Hidan made himself at home. The blonde was supposed to be angry at him, for his strange behavior, but he just stared and slipped along his tongue, the words unrecognizable.

"Kakuzu gave me tickets for some amusement park for two people…" Hidan leaned against the sofa, registering the fact that it smelled like clay and shampoo. "I have no one else to come with me…so I thought…why not bring you along?"

Deidara stood in front of him, blinking as he felt the heat creep up to his face. Was Hidan asking him out for the _second_ time?

"But…why, un?"

Hidan looked away as he felt his face flush as well. He had been so over-confident, thinking that Deidara would just say yes to him. Of course he would ask why, it wasn't unusual. What was unusual was the sick feeling that was climbing up to his stomach, making him feel hurt and rejected before Deidara could even muster an answer.

"I…I don't know." Hidan admitted the truth, closing his eyes as he heard the blonde take a short intake of breath. "It was…out of instinct, I guess."

He opened his eyes again, only to see the lines on Deidara's brow disappear. He started to smile warmly, as if understanding what Hidan meant. He scratched his head as Hidan felt his muscles relax.

"So…um…when do we leave, un?"

The smile on Hidan's face didn't fade even as Deidara went up to his room to wash and change.

--

That afternoon, they went to the amusement park, both conscious and nervous for they were worried their second date might be another disaster. Deidara would talk to Hidan about his art, but the other would just nod, a little bored of their subject.

Upon reaching their destination, a pretty girl who was at the booth asked for their tickets. They gave their tickets, and the girl stamped their hands for security measures.

Deidara looked up at the bright lights, his ears pounding as the loud music, the shouts and howls of people having fun and the vendors mixed inside his head. Hidan was beside him, staring at something above, and the blonde saw he was looking at the Ferris wheel.

"You want to ride in the Ferris wheel, un?" he asked politely. Hidan's face turned pale at the question. He turned to his date, his eyes almost delirious.

"Hell no…You want some popcorn?"

Before Deidara could open his mouth once more, Hidan was already at the popcorn stand. The blonde sighed. He went up to the older man again, his hands full of two large buckets of popcorn.

The blonde thanked him as he got the popcorn.

"So, where do you plan taking me first, un?" Deidara's eyes watched with childish amusement as people lined up on different rides. Then, his blue eyes stopped at the carousel. His eyes twinkled as he followed the circling horses, again and again and again…

"Want to ride on the…carousel?" Hidan offered, even though he thought riding a carousel was for…babies. But he couldn't stand the look on Deidara's face; it was a picture of longing and excitement that made Hidan give in.

"Really, un?" Deidara didn't wait for an answer. He grabbed Hidan by the arm, and together, they went up to the carousel.

--

"One more please!"

"Dei, you have got to be _fucking_ kidding me…" Hidan snarled. He was already dizzy, and the stupid rhymes that kept repeating weren't helping either. But what really pissed him was the group of women, probably in their forties, giggling and taking pictures of them. Deidara didn't seem to mind, but Hidan did. "Let's get the hell outta here. Now."

When the ride stopped, Hidan pulled Deidara away from the horses, but the blonde wouldn't budge. It was already night time, and the only ride that they had went to was the carousel. Deidara wailed, not taking his hands off the pole, but when he saw the Ferris wheel, he let go, then he pointed Hidan to it.

"There. Let's go there, un."

Hidan gulped. He looked up at the wheel, his eyes fuzzy as he followed its motion. He felt his knees shaking. Goosebumps crawled up his skin as he felt Deidara tug at him.

"What's wrong, Hidan? Are you scared, un?"

Hidan looked over at him, trying to muster a glare. "Fuck no."

"Then let's go, un!" Deidara shouted as he ran towards the crowd, making his way to the Ferris wheel. Hidan felt sick; he didn't want to ride that thing…but Deidara seemed so happy and excited, he couldn't help but say yes. There was no backing out anymore.

He reluctantly followed the blonde, who was already in line.

"This is gonna be great, Hidan!" he said as the line grew shorter and shorter. The conductor numbered the people, with Hidan and Deidara already counted. Hidan's heart was pounding madly as he entered the tiny capsule. He sat opposite to Deidara, who was buckling his seatbelt. The silver-haired man did so too, but his hand were shaking that it took some time to secure it.

When everything was all ready, the conductor pulled a lever, and with a sickening whirring, the Ferris wheel was going round and round.

Hidan sucked the cold air as the wheel stopped circling. They stopped at the very top, out looking the view of the city. The dark sky was littered with stars. The yellowish moon was at a short distance; making it look liked it could be reached by the human hand.

"The view is really nice, un!" Deidara said, the wind making his blonde hair sway back and forth. Hidan watched it, trying to distract himself of the fact that they were 30 feet up from the ground. "Are you okay, Hidan?"

"Yeah, yeah." Hidan gave a nervous chuckle. He ran his hand along his silver hair, trying to block it from his eyes, which were squinted.

"Look!" Deidara pointed towards the city. Hidan looked over, careful not to make the capsule sway. "I can see my house from up here, un!"

Hidan stared at the miniscule boxes, then saw he familiar color of the roof of Deidara's house. Then, when he was about to turn back again, he heard a loud bang. He whirled, giving Deidara a glare.

"It wasn't me! It was the fireworks!" he said as he used his thumb to point behind him.

There was a loud whistling sound, then Hidan saw the beautiful spectrum of colors, accompanied by a bang. Many soon followed. The two watched with amazement at the creative display. It was so eye-catching that Hidan forgot that he was on a Ferris wheel.

After the display, the loud whirring sounded again, meaning it was time to go down. Deidara was breathless when they came out of the capsule. His hair was dishelved, and so was Hidan's.

They walked along the path, lanterns lighting their way. Hidan remained quiet, relaxed that he had overcame his worst fear. Deidara, on the other hand, was telling him all about art and about Sasori again. The silver-haired man looked at him, guilty because he knew something about the redhead Deidara didn't know.

They went out of the park, feeling oddly contented even though they didn't do so much. It was like their presence was the thing that mattered all the while. The sounds faded as they walked towards home. With the silence, both could hear their own hearts pounding hard.

When they stopped at the gate, Deidara turned to Hidan. For a long time they stared at each other, not knowing what to say. It was if they wanted to stay with each other a little longer. Hidan was first to snap out of his trance. He cleared his throat, and scuffled the blonde's hair.

"Hope you enjoyed." he said, forcing a weak grin. Deidara nodded, smiling back.

"Thank you, un."

"Welcome."

Then there was the awkward silence again. It felt like the air had grown denser and thicker as they kept quiet. Crickets were already chirping, and the moon was already up, but still, no one uttered a word. Deidara felt a sudden urge to come closer to Hidan. He did, causin the other to flinch as they were mere inches apart.

"Dei…" Hidan bent forward, closing his face over the blonde's. They were so close to each other that the tip of their noses touched. Deidara blushed, biting his lip as he made a silent decision whether to come closer so that they would kiss.

"I…" he whispered something, but Hidan didn't hear it. All he knew was that they would kiss, and it won't be the same between them after their kiss. He leaned a lttle more, trying to catch the other's lips. But then, Deidara moved away. His face was flushed, and he had a saddened expression on his face.

"Sorry, un." He bowed his head, the wind making his hair sway dramatically. Hidan sighed.

"It's…okay." He said as he pushed his silver hair back. "Goodnight."

"G-goodnight."

It was then when Deidara had turned away that Hidan realized what the blonde had whispered.

It was Sasori.

--

To Be Continued


	6. Watching Over You

Watching Over You

--

Deidara sniffed, wiping the small line of mucus that escaped his reddening nose with the back of his hand. He sighed, wiping his hand on a tissue. He hated being sick. He was supposed to have his lessons with Sasori, but the redhead had been too kind, saying that he could take a rest. The blonde lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His heart beat faster as he remembered the events that took place last night.

He almost kissed Hidan, of all the people…

Earlier, when he saw the silver-haired man pass by his house the third time, he was sure he could see Hidan looking at him. When their eyes met, they both had turned crimson, turning away from each other.

_What's happening to me, un?,_ Deidara thought. _Why am I like this?_

He groaned, mentally slapping himself. He wasn't supposed to be like this. He wasn't supposed to think about Hidan…the way he looked at him earlier, the way his face closed over his last night.

Deidara wasn't supposed to like Hidan.

_Sasori-danna…Only my Sasori-danna, un!_

Deidara repeated Sasori's name over and over, until he had to blow his nose again. He stood up, then felt suddenly dizzy, as if he was upside down. He felt the blood rush through his head, and he knew he was going to fall.

He tried one last attempt to balance himself as he held the bedside table, but eventually lost his grip as he fell into unconsciousness.

--

_Damn it all! What the hell is wrong with me?!_

Hidan gripped the flowers tighter in his hand, feeling his whole body shake as he continued to walk, Deidara's house coming into view. He felt suddenly weak and stupid, walking towards Deidara's house with flowers and an apology. The man looked down at the handpicked flowers, trying to catch the scent it had earlier. But the sweet smell was gone, and Hidan felt the confidence he had moments ago drain away as he crossed the street, coming up to Deidara's doorstep.

_This is fucking ridiculous! All I have to do is knock on his door…ask for apology and…_

Hidan trailed off, his mind trying to focus as he knocked on the door. There was no answer, so he knocked again…and again…after a few more moments, the man noticed that something was definitely up with Deidara not answering.

"Hey, Dei! It's me, Hidan!" he called out, knocking once more. There was still no answer. Hidan felt something wrong as he opened the unlocked front door.

"Hello?" he walked into the living room, searching for the blonde. There was no one inside. He checked the other rooms downstairs…no sign of Deidara. Finally, opening the door to Deidara's room, Hidan found the young boy on the floor, unconscious.

"Deidara!" he ran towards where the blonde laid, his heart thumping madly. As soon as he touched Deidara's head, he knew he was sick. Carefully, he carried him, laying him on the bed. Hidan watched as Deidara mumbled a few words, then let out a small snore as he twisted and turned uncomfortably.

_Shit, what have I gotten myself into?_

"Hey, Dei…" Hidan shook the boy's shoulder, trying to wake him up. The blonde merely grumbled, swatting the hand away as he snuggled his head closer into the pillows.

_Good thing Kakuzu thought me a few tricks about this kinda stuff…_

Hidan rolled up his sleeves, grinning to himself. This was the perfect opportunity! As soon as Deidara finds out that Hidan took care of him, he'll surely forgive Hidan, then everything would be okay between them.

Besides, it wasn't like it was _that_ hard to do something oh-so very easy.

--

He was wrong. Absolutely wrong.

Hidan stared at the thermometer that he held, puzzled as he tried to read the temperature. He had watched Kakuzu do it, but he had been too lazy to ask how he read it. And now that he really needed to read it, he felt like throwing the apparatus straight to the wall.

_Damn thing…_

Hidan scowled, setting the thermometer down. He stared at Deidara, who was still sleeping peacefully. Then, he remembered another lesson Kakuzu taught him. He silently thanked his friend, standing up and walking straight to the bathroom.

After a few minutes, the man came back with a basin, filled with cold water and a towel soaking itself into the water. He put the basin on the bedside table as he sat beside the sleeping figure.

Hidan got the soaked towel, the wringed it, getting rid of the excess water. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what Kakuzu had said after that.

_Of course!_

The man silently unbuttoned Deidara's shirt, trying his best not to stare at the boy's body for too long. He pressed the towel against the hot stomach, making Deidara squirm a little. He continued his activity, making sure the boy wasn't too hot. He dipped the towel again, then pressed it on Deidara's forehead.

_I hope this works…_

Hidan touched the blonde's forehead after a while. He sighed in relief, knowing that Deidara's temperature was getting lower. He continued wiping and pressing the towel, checking the blonde's temperature each time he finished.

After finishing the process, Hidan felt his arms beginning to ache. He lay beside Deidara, giving his arms a rest. He felt unexpectedly tired of doing something so simple. But then again, taking care of Deidara was the hard part. Hidan tried to make sure the younger man was comfortable the whole time.

_Why me?_

Hidan stared at Deidara's serene face. He smiled as he heard the blonde mumble again. He came closer, unable to stop himself. He knew it was wrong to take advantage of someone while he was sleeping, but he couldn't help it. He just couldn't.

The silver-haired man touched his cheek, letting his pale fingers caress the soft skin. He came forward again, their foreheads touching. Deidara let out a giggle, his arms wrapping around Hidan's neck.

The older man was startled at first, trying to move away, but soon he began to feel comfortable, feeling Deidara's hot breath on his face. It felt nice, being inside the blonde's arms.

"My Danna…" the blonde mumbled. "My Sasori-danna…"

Hidan's eyes widened, the peace breaking as he jumped back, feeling hurt. He felt hurt that even in his dreams, Sasori was still the one that Deidara dreamt of. Hidan cursed himself, trying to get a hold of _himself_. He was feeling more and more stupid as he stared at Deidara who was giggling and mumbling.

_I…I shouldn't have helped him…_

Gazing at Deidara, he didn't hear the footsteps downstairs. He only realized that there was someone else when the door behind him opened. Hidan turned, and cursed again.

It was Sasori.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he snarled, moving forward. Sasori stood still, his brown eyes staring at Hidan.

"I should be asking you that question."

The silver-haired man scoffed. "Deidara's sick. I took care of him, and what thanks do I get? Him mumbling your name."

The redhead raised an eyebrow. He continued to stare at the obviously enraged man.

"I have no interest in what you're saying." Sasori was about to turn away when Hidan lunged forward, grabbing his arm.

"Oh, so that's it?! You have no fucking interest, so you leave, just like that?!"

"Let go of me, you-"

"What's going on, un?" a groggy voice echoed through the room. Sasori glanced over Hidan's shoulder.

"Hello, Deidara."

"D-Danna!" the blonde stood up in a flustered manner. Hidan gave the redhead a glare. He was about to leave when he heard Deidara call him.

"Hello, Hidan, un!"

Deidara's voice was really cheerful, and it made Hidan quite happy with the fact he had taken good care of the younger man.

He turned meeting Deidara's eyes once again. "Hey."

"What're the two of you doing here?"

Before Sasori could answer, Hidan butted in.

"Sasori wanted to see you, and I was just about to leave."

"W-what?" Deidara glanced at Sasori the back at Deidara. "Was I that sick, un?"

"Yeah. But don't worry…" The silver-haired man started walking away so that the two wouldn't see how hurt he was. "Sasori-danna's here for you."

Deidara wanted to call him back again, because he didn't quite hear what Hidan had said, but before he could, Sasori blocked his way.

--

To Be Continued


	7. Date 3

A/N: Apologies for updating late. I was busy.

--

Date 3

--

Hidan grumbled, scratching his head as he woke up. Through his hazy vision, he realized that there was _something_ different. He immediately sat up, then gasped in shock as his brain slowly verified what he had thought the moment he woke up; he _wasn't_ in his room.

By instinct, he grabbed at his side, thinking that someone else was beside him on the bed, but luckily, there was none. Still, when he realized that he wasn't wearing anything except for his boxers, the fear came up again.

Hidan tried to stand up, but the sudden twinge on his brain made him groan in pain. He bit his bottom lip, cursing in his mind. He was having a hangover, no doubt about that. Trying to will himself to calm down, Hidan went back to the events that took place yesterday. He remembered visiting Deidara, then coming home so pissed off that—no, wait—Hidan opened his eyes.

_Aha!,_ he thought, _I remember! I was so goddamn pissed that I went straight to a bar…then I remembered drinking a little…shit…I DON'T FUCKING REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT!!_

What if he had met someone? What if he had asked some chick out, or worse, a guy, to have some "good time" with him? What if they had stole his cash, then maybe that chick or guy would come back after a few months, claiming that Hidan was the father of the child in their womb? (No, wait, guys can't be pregnant).

"Hey, you awake?"

Hidan looked at his side, just in time to see Kakuzu enter, holding out a tray with a glass of water and something that looked like medicine.

"'Kuzu? What the hell happened? I don't fucking remember anything at all…" the albino grumbled, able to breathe normally again. At least he now knew whom he had spent the night with (Okay, that sounded seriously wrong). Relief flooded in his mind as his friend sat down beside him on the bed.

"Drink this first. It'll stop that major headache you're having."

Hidan complied, drinking down the capsule. Then he turned to face Kakuzu again.

"Well?" he said, waiting for Kakuzu's explanation. The green-eyed man thought for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"This would sound confusing, I'm telling you, because I myself can't even understand what _really _happened with you.

"First, I was walking into this bar, minding my own business, which was to make money, when I heard this slur that sounded so fucking like you. I tried to ignore it, saying it wasn't really that important, because I never really thought of you who would be someone to drink alcohol, but there you were. You really got the people buzzing; they were fuming with your gibberish."

"I was what?" Hidan felt hazed. _He had been drunk?_

"You were drunk. And _I_ took the liberty of taking you home. What a joy that was." Sarcasm practically leaked from what Kakuzu had said. "Who knew you were so heavy? And why were you saying this name…what was that…oh, yeah, _Deidara_."

Hidan's breathing became shallow when he heard the mention of Deidara's name. He really didn't want to remember the events that took place yesterday. It had weighed him down so much. Scratching his head (it was becoming a habit of his), Hidan scowled as he watched Kakuzu's eyes fog in memory.

"Deidara…where did I hear that? I know that name…" Recognition suddenly filled his eyes again. "Of course, Mister Blondie Head from high school! Deidara, _the_ blonde! How could I forget?"

His smile turned to a dangerous smirk.

"Wait, don't tell me you've got the hots for the blonde now."

Hidan felt his face heat up, much to his own dismay. Kakuzu was reading him like an open book.

"W-who the hell told you that?! I, of all the people?" he tried to laugh at it, but Kakuzu was raising his eyebrows in an unconvinced way.

"Whatever you say Hidan."

Then he stood up, getting the tray and the empty glass. Hidan watched him, mentally burning holes on Kakuzu's back. The other didn't seem to mind. He simply went up to the door. But upon opening it, he turned back to the pale man on the bed.

"My services come with a fee, y'know."

A pillow hit Kakuzu's head. Hard.

--

Deidara sat on his work desk, finding it hard to concentrate on his work, which Sasori had assigned to him. He had so many questions buzzing in his mind right now. It was also really confusing to probe his answers.

_Why was Hidan so mad? Why was he in my room in the first place? Why am I worried about these?_

The blonde sighed, leaning on his chair, balancing on the two hind legs. He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, hearing only the soft rustle of the wind and the distant barking of dogs. Man, he was bored. And there was nothing else to do.

Sometimes, Deidara wished he had attended school so that he could've made some friends.

Not wanting the self-pity to shrink in, the artist stood up, stretched, then went up to the coat rack to retrieve his coat.

Perhaps a nice walk in the park would give him some space to think.

--

The path seemed endless, Deidara quipped in his mind. He was walking on the path that trailed over the entire area of the park, staring on the brick-like texture of the path underneath, not avoiding anyone, instead letting other people avoid him. He was being an obedient student: Sasori-danna had always told him that when walking, an artist should not look up to the path where he would go, but instead look down and take a closer look onto each footstep he would take (of course it was just an idiom, but Deidara was _that_ naïve).

And of course, to add more fun to his walk, Deidara decided to count the dried autumn leaves he passed by. Whoopee.

_Thirty-five…thirty-six…un._

Blue eyes scanning the area below, still not looking up, so absorbed by his little 'game'. He didn't even know that he was about to collide with a man, who also had no interest as to looking up to where his feet were leading him. Like Deidara, his mind was full of so many questions that—

_**SLAM!**_

"Oof!"

"Agh!"

Two bodies collided, both falling on their bottoms at the same time. Good thing there was only a few people watching, the flustered blonde thought as he struggled to stand, it would've have been humiliating—

Blue eyes met pinkish ones.

"Hidan, un?"

Hidan felt his throat tightening. He both thanked and cursed his luck, thinking how oh-so dumb he was for not even looking up to avoid such a _stupid_ accident. Now that they were both on their feet, it didn't seem that embarrassing. Still…

"I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going, un!" the younger man bowed deeply, hiding his beet red face. How dumb could he get? Hidan would be so pissed—

"No, it's okay."

Deidara looked up, wanting to see Hidan's face clearly, but felt his heart sink when he realized Hidan had turned away. He had his back facing the blonde, and Deidara couldn't help but think that the albino was giving him the cold shoulder.

"H-Hidan?"

"Hm?"

The younger man stared at Hidan's back, biting his lip. He really didn't know what he was supposed to say. How could've it turned out like this? All Deidara wanted was to take a nice walk in the park to clear a few things off his mind, and here he was, facing the very reason for his restlessness.

Oh, the _irony_ of it all.

Deidara had his mouth open by now, but he couldn't force the words out.

_What happened yesterday? Why were you mad? Are __**you**__ mad? Is it because of me?_

But alas, the gods seemed to hate Deidara right now. What came out of his mouth sounded so stupid that the blonde would've preferred crawling inside a hole and die right there and then.

"I was counting the dried leaves, un!"

Well, at least that made Hidan face him. He also had a funny look on his face.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid—_

"That's interesting."

Deidara met his eyes for a second time that day, and realized that Hidan was only teasing him, and that he didn't mean that to hurt his feelings. The blonde felt his stomach unclench, and for an instant he just wanted to jump up to Hidan and shout "HALLELUJAH!", but that would draw attention. Instead, he pouted, and the older man smirked at him.

--

So, with nothing to do, they walked along aimlessly, kicking stones and exchanging insults (mostly Hidan to Deidara) about how gay-like Deidara kicked. Of course, the blonde didn't mind; he was already used to Hidan's way of communicating, and when the albino was in constant tease mode, it meant he was happy, and that fact alone made Deidara happy as well.

Soon, they grew tired, and so they decided to sit on a nearby bench to rest for a bit.

Deidara scooted at the very opposite of the bench, not knowing why. Hidan was a friend, wasn't he? Why was he moving away from him? Why was he so conscious?

"Hey, Dei?" the silver-haired man piped. Deidara "hm"-ed in response. "You _do_ know this is a date, right?"

That was quite a surprise. Another date? Not that Deidara minded it though.

"I didn't know that, un. Not until now, that is."

"…"

"Hidan?"

"Yeah?"

…_Are you taking me seriously?_

"Let's buy some ice cream. My treat for you, un."

--

"You eat ice cream like you're making out with it." Hidan stated flatly. Deidara nearly choked on his vanilla-flavored ice cream.

"That's rude, un!"

"I don't give a fuck as long as it's true!" Hidan snapped. Then he realized his ice cream was melting already, sticky on his hand. "Shit…"

"That's what you get for watching and teasing me!" Deidara said as he licked his ice cream happily.

Hidan glared at him, but it softened as he watched Deidara's tongue lick off the ice cream drop by drop. His tongue seemed pink and flexible as it licked off the white thick cream. Sometimes, when he thought Hidan wasn't looking, he would gobble it off, causing the ice cream to spread through his lips, then Deidara would lick them clean, smacking them, then he'd lick off some more from his cone. Hidan wondered what it would feel if that tongue would lick his skin, all the way down to his…

"Hidan, your ice cream's melting fast, un!"

Then Hidan realized he was already drooling.

--

"That ice cream was delicious, wasn't it?" Deidara announced as they started walking again. Hidan was beside him, sulking. How long should he keep up with this? His imagination was playing goddamn tricks on him! Just looking at Deidara sent a thousand naughty thoughts scurrying in Hidan's mind.

"You okay? You don't look so good, Hidan, un."

"I'm fine." The albino grumbled, kicking a few stones out of the way. It was already three in the afternoon, and he had to get home by four. Just when he was about to tell that to Deidara, he was cut off.

"Are you mad at me, un? If you are, then why?"

The question caught Hidan off-guard that he stopped to let it shrink in. Was it the reason Deidara went out with him? To find out if he was mad or not? He glanced at the younger man, then felt sympathetic, seeing Deidara's troubled look.

"I asked you on a date, ate ice cream with you, and about to walk home with you, and you think I'm mad?"

Deidara smiled, but it was a sad smile.

"I guess I wasn't thinking."

Hidan sighed. Deidara was unconvinced.

No point in lying now.

"You're right. I _am _mad. Mad that I could've punched you right now…"

Deidara's face paled.

"…but I couldn't do that. I wouldn't. And I was mad…because I was _kinda_ jealous."

Both Hidan and Deidara blushed.

"You…you were jealous?"

Hidan slowly nodded his head. He really had been jealous. He felt hurt and pissed when Deidara had paid more attention to Sasori, but now, remembering that, it didn't really matter. He looked at the artist, then he felt his heart beat so fast. What was this? Why was Deidara making him so nervous all of a sudden?

And why were Deidara's eyes closed, his lips puckered, and the most confusing part of all…

…_why was Deidara leaning closer?_

--

_He's gonna kiss you, you dumbass, and you aren't even ready!_

Hidan felt his head go numb, his knees shake and his hands clench tightly when Deidara placed his soft lips against the albino's cold, slightly chapped ones. The blonde wasn't a good kisser as well, and he was beginning to feel quite stupid for initiating something he wasn't even sure he was good at. He was about to pull away when he felt Hidan pull him closer, deepening the kiss.

It was Deidara's first kiss. _Hidan_ was his first kiss.

And afterwards, when he told that information to him, Hidan felt like jumping up to Deidara and screaming "HALLELUJAH!"

--

"Dei, what about…" Hidan felt his mouth go dry. "…Sasori?"

They were already in front of Deidara's house. Deidara, who was on the doorstep, withdrew his hand from his coat pocket, where he was rummaging for his keys. He looked up to meet Hidan's intense gaze.

"Sasori-danna…he…he still means a lot to me…"

_Ouch._

"…But you mean a lot to me too now, un."

Hidan scratched his head sheepishly, which Deidara found alarmingly adorable, and pulled him down by the collar of his shirt for another mind-boggling kiss.

Okay, maybe Hidan was weighing a little more than Sasori, but Deidara wasn't about to tell him _that_.

--

**I know it's a bit odd for Dei to kiss Hidan out of the blue, but it just seemed so right. Comments would much be appreciated.**

--

To Be Continued


End file.
